Beam-handling apparatus for coal-mining and other operations



K. KLEPADLO ET AL 1,755,738

BEAM HANDLING APPARATUS FOR COAL MINING AND OTHER OPERATIONS April 22,1930.

Filed Sept. 10, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet April 22, 1930. K. KLEPADLO Er AL1,755,738

' BEAM HANDLING APPARATUS FOR COAL MINING AND OTHER OPERATIONS FiledSept. 10, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwwntow 4670 &; H; GmMaws/h:

April 22, 1930. K. KLEPADLO ET AL I 1 1,755,738

BEAM HANDLING APPARATUS FOR COAL MINING AND OTHER OPERATIONS Filed Sept.10, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet s April 22, 1930. D Q ET AL 1,755,738

BEAM HANDLING APPARATUS FOR COAL MINING AND OTHER OPERATIO'NS FiledSept. 10, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 22, 1930. K. KLEPADLO ET AL1,755,738

BEAM HANDLING APPARATUS FOR COAL MINING AND OTHER OPERATIONS Filed Sept.10, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 22,1930

BEAM-HANDLING APPARATUS son coAL-MINING AND OTHER OPERATIO S fApplication filed September 10, 1929. Serial No. 391,556.

This invention relates to certain new anduseful improvements in beam orlog handling apparatus for coal mining and other operations. Y'

The primary object ofthe invention is to provide an apparatus for thepositioning of roof beams or timbers and side posts in the room orpassage of a coal m1ne,-1t having heretofore been customary to employmanual labor at the risk of life and limb in the positioning of thesebeams and'timbers, the-appar'atus disclosedin this applicationefficiently handling the beams and timbers and setting them into correctpositions in a minimum of time and at a great saving of labor;

' With the above and'other objectsin view that will become apparent asthe nature of the invention is better-understood, the same consists inthe novelform, combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying draw-' ings and claimed.

In the drawings Y I Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a beamhandlingapparatus constructed in accordance with the present inventionand illustrating by dotted lines the beam handling or crane arms of theapparatus in their lowered positions to be engaged with a beam, andfurther illustrate-d by dotted lines in their Figure 2 is a fragmentaryfront elevational view, showing the beam engaging rod supporting acelhng or roofbeam that has been placed in engagement at'its ends withup-' right columns or posts; I

F gure 31s a fragmentary front elevatlonal view;

Figure leis a verticalcross-sectional view taken on line 4+4: of Figure1, showingthe turn table 7 mechanism of the apparatus and the operatingmeans therefor; 45

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure1;

"Figure 6 is a detail sectional viewtaken on line 6 6 of Figure 5;Figure 7 isa'detail sectional view taken on line 7 7 of Figure 5';

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevationall View, partly .in sectionshowing the detail' and clamping 'j aw carried thereby; and

I Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one of the beamhandling arms showing the clamping jaw in its opened position.

In mining operations, it is required that passages or tunnels throughthe mines be supported or 'braced'to prevent collapse of the'roofs orceilings and ithas heretofore been customary'to employ manual labor inhoisting the ceiling or roof beams into positlon and 1n many lnstances,serlous ln ury has TOFFICE 1 KOSTANTZ KLEIPADLO AND ALEXANDER GRATKOWSKL0F SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANI construction of one of the beam handling armsthe roofs or ceilings of rooms and certain passages of minesin placingthe beams in vertical posltions as side supports and 111 also disposingthem adjacent the ceiling or roof. In the accompanying drawings, asillustrated in Figure 1, the beam handling apparatus comprises a truckor platform 1 mounted upon track wheels 2 that ride upon the mine track3 and when the apparatus is rigidly set for a beam handling operation,chock blocks 4 are associated with the wheels and tracks, while anchorchains 5'pass around the'track rails and through openings provided inthe track wheels. I

A turn table construction is mounted upon the truck or platform 1 andincludes a circular bearing plate 6 anchored to theplatform by thetiebolts 7 shown in Figures 4 and 5 and upon which plate 'a turn table 8carrying the beam handling mechanism is 'rotatably mounted by the centerbearing 9,v

opposed circular grooves in the faces of the disk plate 6 and turn table8 having ballbearing races 10 for the reduction of friction.

The devices for effectingrotation of the turn table 8 include'acircular'series of gear teeth '11 on the underside of the peripheraledge of theturn table that is engaged by the gear bearing 13 as shown inFigure to receive an operating crank handle 15. The turn table 8 is heldin rotatably adjustable position by thetwo dogs 16 pivotally mountedupon the platform 1 and movable into engagement with the gear wheel 12.

The beam handling arms are of identical construction and the elementsassociated with each beam handling arm comprise apair of guide bars 17extending upwardly from the turn table 8 aslight inclination as shown inFigure 9 with a cross-brace 18 extending between the rear edges of theguide bars as shown in Figures i ma e. A beam handling arm 19 ispivotally supported at its lower end as' 'at20 fbetween'the guide bars17, while a o s brace 21 as shown in Fig. 3 connects thearms 19 adjacenttheir upper ends. The beamhandli'ng arm 19is longitudinally sockeite das at 22, the socket extending from the outer to apo'int adjacent thepivot mount for the reception of the extensioniarm 23, the outer end 230f the beam handling extension arm 28 being shouldered at 25 forengagement with the outer end of the arm 19 for limiting inward movementof the ext ens'ion rm into the socket 22 as shown in Figure 8.. A beamgripping clamp or jaw c'aivried :by the outer end 2d on the extenslonarises, the curved jaw 26 being formed inf tegrallw'ith the arm end 2%while the cooperating gripping jaw'27 is pivotally mounted asat'28 uponthe end 2-l of the extension arm. The tivo extens'ion arms 23 areindependent- 1y operable so that one arm may be advanced oreritended agreater distance than the other whenit is desired to place ceiling orroot beams at an.,zuigle and this operating mechanism includes theprovision or rack te'eth 29' upon one side edge of the extension arm 23to be engaged by the pinion 30 hired to the shaft 31--jouriialed in theguide bars 1'? with a crank handle Q52 fixed to the projecting end oieach shaft 31;. Upon rotation of the sh aft 31, the pinion 30 operatesthe eXte sion arm 28 for moving these-me into and out of the socketedbeam handling'arm 19. T re beam handling arms 19 being pivotally mountedas at 20 between the lower ends of the guide bars 17, it is intendedthat the arms be retained againstpivotal movement during the operationof shifting the extension arms 28,, the for ward edges of the side bars17 and the upper forward side of the socketed beam handling arm' 19being provided with openings 35 that are adapted to register when thearm is moved between the guide bars for the reception of alocking pinhead 36 carried by .a chain 87 attached to theupper ends or a side-barof each pair. The extension arms 23 are independently adjustable so thaton may be extended a greater distance than the other to position ceilingor root beams at an inclination whenrequired. Means is provided forholding the extension arms 23 in shifted positions and includes a dog 33pivoted on a cross piece 3e between adjacent guide bars 17 that ismovable into engagement with the pinion 30 to hold the same againstmovement.

When the pins 36 are removed from the registering openings 35 in thebeam handling arms 19 and guide bars 17, the arms 19 lower by their ownweight upon their pivotal mounting 20 to the dotted line position shownin Figure 1 and the mechanism for regulating the pivotal or loweringmovement of the beam handling arms and also for raising-them with abean'i'pesitioned in the clamping jaws 26 and 27 is carried by the turntable 8 includes a pair of standards 38s'upported at their lower endson'the turntable and placed by angle bracket plates 8'9 as shown inFigures land 8 bolted theretoand to the turn table, and also the outergui'dfebar 17 of each pair. Brace bars 40 extend betw the upper ends ofthe standards 38 and g me bars 17 for the rigid support of theseeiementsas'shown in Figure '8. Asshown in Figuresl to 5 a shaft 41 isjournaled in the upper ends of the standards 38 with a crank hanefll2'de't'achably mounted upon'ea'ch'end t'herbf vtheshaft ll carryinga pair ofspace'd grooved caldle guide blocks 43, one adjacent each endthereof bet/ween't he standards 38 and a pair of centrally positionedgear wheels A second shaft 15is journaled in the upper ended thestandards 38' rearwardly of the shaft 41 and at its outer end isprovided with a ratchet wheel 46 engaged by the pivoted dog 17 upontheupper endjoi? the standard 38, the central poriofn of the shaft- 45carries a pair of gear'wheels' 18 meshing with the gear wheels 44 uponthe shaft 41. The shaft -45 outwardly of the gears 4:8 and inwardly oftlie'standa ds 38 have cables 19 wound thereon as at 49 with the end ofthe cable'securedtdthesh the cables passing over the guide blocksaid-with the other ends thereof, e'a' ch associatedwith a clamping jawatlthe outer 'end of the'b'eani handling eii'tension arm 23.

Each cable 4:9 is associated with a grooved guide block 50 journaledbetween the rear upper end of the adjacent guide bars 17 with theterminal end thereof associated with-a pairot clamping jaws 26 and 27.As shown more clearly in Figs. l, 8 and 9, the cable 49 passes throughan opening 51 in the'cla'mping jaw 27 and over a grooved guide block 52journaled in the opening 51 and around a grooved guide block '53 jOurnaled in the opening 54 in the fixed clamping jaw 26, the terminalend of the cable- 49 returning to the movable clamping jaw 27 andanchored thereto as at 55. The outer face ofthe movable clamping 27 ispro ed with a series of ratchet teeth 56 to be engaged by one end of apawl 57 that isfpivotally m unted as at 58 upon the outer end 24: or theextension arm 23 with the other end of the pawl 57 spring pressed as at'59 for normally holding the pawl in engagement with the ratchet teethon the pivoted clamping jaw 27.

With the truck or platform 1 anchored to the track 3 as shown in Fig. 1,the apparatus is ready for use. The pins 36 are then removed from theopenings 35 and the dogs 47 disengaged from the ratchet wheels 46, thebeam handling arms 19 and extensions 23 car-, ried thereby then movingby their own weight on their pivotal mountings 20, the speed of descentbeing controlled by the cables 49, wound upon the shaft, ends which maybe unwound therefrom by the crank handles 42. When the arms are lowered,thecables 49 move into engagement with the guide blocks upon the upperends of the guide bars 17 as shown in Figure 1. The beam A to bepositioned adjacent the ceiling or roof of a mine room, tunnel orpassage is positioned across the track 3 upon supporting blocks B. Thepawls 57 are then released from theclamping jaw sections 27 to permitthem to move upon their pivotal mounting '28 shown in Figure 9 so thatthe pointed ends of the clamping jaws 26 and 27 may be engaged with thebeam A as shown in Figure 1; The shaft 41 is then rotated by the crankhandle 42 for rotating the shaft 45 to wind the cables 49 thereon,initial movementsof the cables 49 by their particular association withthe clampingaws 26 and 27 causing the latter to bite into the beamA-for'the positive engagement therewith. Continued rotation of the shaft45 winding the cables 49 thereon elevates the beam arms 19 upon theirpivotal mountings 20, raising the beam A to the position shown in Figure2, and at which time thedisengaged from the ratchet wheel 46 to permitfree rotation of the shaft 45 and the shafts 31 are then operated bythecrank handles 32 to rotate thepinions 31 for elevating the extensionarms 33 out of the socketed beam handling arms 19 for elevating the beamA to a point adjacent the ceiling or roof of the mine room or the like.As shown in Figure 2, vertical beam C more previously positioned and thebeam A is then lowered into engagement with the upper ends of the beamC, the ends of the beam A being mitered as illustrated, while theusualwedge pieces are inserted between the beam A and the ceiling orroof of the mine room. The pawls 57 are then disengaged from theclamping jaw member 27 to permit disengagement of'the clamping jaws fromthe beam A and the extension arms 23are then lowered into the sockets 22of the arms 19. The apparatusis also employed'for mounting the verticalbeams G in position, and while the beam A is'illustrated as beingpositioned transversely of the.

the invention, it is believed that the construction and operationthereof will at'on'ce be apparent, and whilethere is herein'shown anddescribed the preferred embodiment-of the invention, it is neverthelessto be understood that minor changes may bemade therein withoutdejciartilig' from the spirit and scope of the inventionas claimed. Weclaim lgA'pparatus of the character described.

comprising a truck, a-turn table thereon, beam handling mechanism on theturn table, including pairs of guide bars, av beam handling arm pivotedbetween each pair of guide bars, means for locking the arms'to the guidebars, an extension on each arm having grlpplng jaws at 1ts outer end,and operatlng means for vthe extension.

comprlsing a truck, a turn table thereon,

beam handling mechanism on the turn table,

'Apparatus of the character described including pairs of guide'bars, abeam'h'an dling arm pivoted between each pair of guide bars, andprovided with an elongated end opening socket, an extension arm thereinhaving rack teeth on one side, a manually rotatable pinion engaged withthe rack teeth forprojecting and retracting the extension arm, and meansfor locking the arms to the guide bars. H I v q 3. Apparatus of thecharacter described comprising a truck, a turn table thereon, beamhandling mechanism on the turn table, including pairs of guide bars, abeam handling arm pivoted between each pair of guide bars, and providedwith an elongated end opening socket, an extension arm therein havingrack teeth on one side, a manually rotatable pinion engaged with therack teeth for" ly rotatable shaft on the standards, and cables wound onthe shaft, each connectedto an arm extension for raislng the extenslons.

4. Apparatus ofthe characterdescribed comprising a truck, a turn tablethereon, beam handling mechanism on the turn table, including pairsof-guide bars, a beamhandling arm pivoted between each pair of'guide'bars, and provided with an elongated end,

opening socket, an extension arm therein having rack teeth on one side,a manually rotatable pinion engaged with the rack teeth for projectingand retracting the extension arm, I

standards on the turn table, a manually rotatablef shaft on thestandards, cables Wound on the shaft, each connected to anar'm extensionfor raising the extensions, the gripping jaws comprising a fixed aw andpivotedjaw,.and ratchetmechanism associated with the pivoted jaw forholding the same in closed position, the connection between the cablesand 7 arm extensions consisting of anchoring the cable to thepivoted awand looping the same through the fixed jaw whereby the pivoted jawismovedtowardthe-fixed jaw when the a cable is operated to raise thearms. 7 55 Apparatus of the character described "comprising a truck, aturn table thereon,

beamhandling mechanism on the turn table, including pairs of guide;bars, a beam han- V dling arm pivoted between each'pair of guide bars,and provided with an elongated end opening socket,--an extension armtherein having rack teeth on one side, a manually rotatable' pinionengaged with-the rack teeth for projecting and retracting the extensionarm, means-for locking the arms to the guide bars, standards on the turntable, a manually "rotatable shaft on the standards, cables wound on theshaft, each Connected to an arm extension for raising the extensions,the gripping jaws comprising a fixed jaw and a pivoted jaw, and ratchetmechanism associatedwith'the pivoted jaw for holding the sameinclosedposition, the connection be tween the cables and arm extensionscon.- sisting of anchoring the cable to the pivoted jaw and looping thesame through the fixed jaw whereby the pivoted jaw is moved toward thefixed jaw when the cable is operated to raisethe arms.

I In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures.

KOSTANTZ KLEPADLO.

ALEXANDER GRATKOWSKI.

